Chennai:
DMK chief M Karunanidhi today suspended five loyalists of his elder son MK Alagiri from his bastion Madurai, citing indiscipline over some posters they had put up in the temple town.
The action, a sign of worsening family feud within the party, comes two days after Mr Karunanidhi condemned Mr Alagiri, a former Union Minister, for opposing the party's ties with the DMDK for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in a television interview.
Dissociating himself and the DMK from Mr Alagiri's views, Mr Karunanidhi had said in a statement, "Alagiri's views if true are not views of the DMK. Only the party's General Council or the Executive or the high command, when authorised can decide on alliance". After snapping ties with the Congress there is speculation that the DMK is trying to rope in the DMDK to forge a strong alliance ahead of Lok Sabha polls.
A few days ago, the DMK high command had disbanded the party's units in Madurai, citing indiscipline. All office bearers who lost their party positions were loyalists of Madurai strongman Alagiri. The party also put in place an interim team which many say comprised of loyalists of Mr Karunanidhi's younger son MK Stalin.
Over the last few years, the DMK has witnessed sibling rivalry between Mr Karunanidhi's two sons. According to party insiders, the party chief is grooming Mr Stalin to be his heir. But the elder son too has time and again made it clear that after his father, he would contest party elections in a bid to succeed as DMK's President.
On record, DMK leaders say the suspensions in Madurai have been made on disciplinary issues and deny reports of sibling rivalry.